BASIL-BASILICO GREAT FRESH FROM THE GARDEN

I use basil in my cooking. It is supposed to have some medicinal uses but I just love the taste it gives to food. So I get some of the benefits anyway whatever they are. A variety of basil plants are grown worldwide. My Mom grew it so I carried on the tradition. It was used in each bottle of the homemade pomodoro passata. One little leaf per bottle!

I like to use it in simple ways. Fresh basil on slices of tomatoes drizzled with a little olive oil, salt and pepper to taste is a simple addition to the menu. At lunch or dinner it is good! Or just in a Canadian style tomato sandwich!

A simple summer sauce is using fresh tomatoes,  by crushing them in a pot with a few pieces of garlic diced and adding many pieces of fresh basil leaves and letting it simmer for about an hour. It is a quick sauce to use on spaghettini or regular spaghetti or any pasta of choice. Barb actually likes it on penne with some hot peppers added to give some kick!

If you do not have fresh tomatoes- a can of crushed tomatoes can work year round with some fresh basil.

I grow my basil in a container, handy to the kitchen on the back porch.

There is lots of information and history about the herb you can research. For me, I just like to eat it! And yes it smells good too!